missionlindahamilton

I’m still working on Phase I. I have yet to have two nights in a row where I get at least eight hours of sleep. I am feeling considerably more positive about this whole thing now that I’ve broken it down into smaller, more realistic steps. I thought I had the first plan broken down fairly well, but we just never know until we test it out. That plan just didn’t pass the test.By taking this one step at a time and harnessing the power of gradual progress, I think I’ll still be able to make my Christmas goal.

By the time I’m ready to hit Phase III, I’ll have been getting eight hours of
sleep every night and following the low-carb diet for at least two weeks.
(Ideally, I could get to Phase III in three weeks but I’m not going to put that
kind of pressure on myself. Added pressure doesn’t help one sleep at night!)

Phase III is when I’ll begin my weight training and aerobic workouts.
I’ll exercise six days a week. I’ll lift weights three days a week and do 20
minutes of high intensity aerobic work for three days every week. These
workouts, combined with proper sleep and a low-carb diet should really make some
exciting changes happen.

Once I get a handle on Phase I of my new plan, I’ll move on to Phase II. (Once
I can go a whole week getting eight hours of sleep every day.)

Phase II will involve the diet.
If I can get eight hours of sleep every night, I won’t crave the starch so
viciously and I won’t have the violent mood swings. That will allow me to
follow the low-carb diet and should kick off some very healthy weight loss even
without exercise. I’ll follow the diet as I laid it out but with one tweak.
I’ll allow myself a cheat time every week. It may not be a whole chat day but
more likely a cheat afternoon.

Until I start getting eight hours of sleep every night, I will continue to crave
starchy carbohydrates and have mood swings that create a very hostile home
environment. Expecting my body to recover from strenuous exercise with
inadequate sleep is totally unrealistic as well.

The fact of the matter is, nothing will work without sleep.
No matter how well I stick to the diet, I won’t lose weight without sleep.
No matter how well I stick to my workouts, my body will never recover properly
without sleep.

Phase I of my new plan is to start getting eight hours of sleep every day. If I
can’t do it at night then I’ll try to make up the difference with naps.
This should be interesting.

My favorite motivational author, Napoleon Hill, suggests that if your plan isn’t
working, try another. There really is no sense in wasting time and energy on a
plan that won’t work, or worse yet, a plan that will keep you spinning your
wheels and wasting your energy.

So I’m reworking the plan.
The new plan will have three phases.

I’m also letting myself off the hook with that February pre-deadline deadline.
The first plan didn’t work so expecting myself to accomplish anything
significant in the first eight weeks is only setting myself up for failure.

So here we go again!

I was a little premature on that sleep entry.
The little one has more teeth coming in and they’re really keeping him awake at night (even with the Motrin and topical anesthetic). When the little guy is awake, so is Mommy. Last night, I was awake from 1-3am and then again at 4am.
So much for a restful night’s sleep!

This is clearly going to be a major hurdle toward my goal. Without the sleep, I’ll have no energy and no willpower to stay away from the carbohydrates.

What else is there to say?

I have got to find a way to get the sleep my body and mind need.

I’m working on programming myself. Yes, I just said that.
Rather than allowing the random stuff that comes at me every day feed my subconscious’ need for input, I’m using autosuggestion (also known as affirmations or neurolinguistic programming).
Oddly enough, it isn’t as hokey as it may sound.

The subconscious mind needs input. You can let it get whatever comes at it, like negative self talk about your wide load as you look at yourself in the mirror or you can choose what will fill your subconscious mind.
I’ve chosen the route of positive affirmations and positive subliminal audio as I drift off to sleep.

I’ll keep you posted.

I’ve long been an advocate of proper sleep as a weight loss tool. Unfortunately, I have very young children so I haven’t had any good sleep in several years.
Except recently.

So I’ve been working on my diet, trying to rework the workout plan and trying to get some sleep. The only thing I’ve really accomplished is the sleep portion. I’m finally getting some sleep and it doesn’t seem to matter what I eat - I still drop a pound every night that I get eight hours of sleep.

I was back down to 208 yesterday and was looking forward to 207 this morning but it turned out to be an eventful night. I managed to eek out about 6.5 hours of sleep last night.

I don’t know if my plan failed me or if I failed my plan. Either way, I’ve been considering reworking the plan.
As you may know, I fell off the low carb wagon last week. (The low carb wagon must be THE most difficult wagon to stay on!) Anyway, I’ve been slowly trying to work my way back. My recent craving for hoagies has delayed my return to the low carb lifestyle.
I’ve even discussed with my husband the possibility of actually taking time away from home and going to an actual gym. (I have access to three within five miles of my home.)

I’ll let you know what happens next…

More sleep issues.
We’ve got the whole bedwetting thing under control now but there’s just no accounting for bad dreams. What are you gonna do? Of course you have to wake up for that stuff.
The baby is getting himself back to sleep much more quickly now so that is progress.
Eventually, the pressures of mommyhood, dealing with a significant loss of income, lack of sleep (and an inability to lose weight because of it) and the buildup of stress because of all of that will make any person crack.

Yesterday was my day to crack.

Welcome to the breakdown lane.